Dreamcolour release The History of Dreaming in Colour, and it’s extremely purdy

If you haven’t heard of Dreamcolour, that’s probably because you don’t ride around in vehicles manufactured prior to the mid-1990s; all of their releases (with the exception of their latest) have so far been limited to cassette, with maybe a few download links located sparsely around the web, in places where only the most musically-inclined pirates congregate. If you have heard of Dreamcolour, well then… damn, maybe you should be writing this article. Or, maybe you’re just thinking of some completely irrelevant hybrid between the film companies, Dreamworks and Technicolor. Of course, such a hybrid wouldn’t be in the business of composing psychedelic and/or free improv music, which is why that particular thought would be irrelevant. Also irrelevant: “Dreamcolour” sounds like a spectacular name for a revised, exceedingly futuristic version of Hasbro’s Lite-Brite.

Relevant: Rob Magill and Alex Gray (a.k.a. Dreamcolour) have just released The History of Dreaming in Colour, their first album since 2010, available for digital purchase here. If I had to describe what I’m hearing right now with a single word, that word would be the polar opposite of “contrived.” I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not that’s a good thing, ultimately. Also, the production veers decidedly towards the “lo” end of the fidelity scale. A conscious choice with a creative purpose? I would assume so. It definitely adds to the improvisational angle.

If you haven’t heard of Dreamcolour, that’s probably because you don’t ride around in vehicles manufactured prior to the mid-1990s; all of their releases (with the exception of their latest) have so far been limited to cassette, with maybe a few download links located sparsely around the web, in places where only the most musically-inclined pirates congregate. If you have heard of Dreamcolour, well then… damn, maybe you should be writing this article. Or, maybe you’re just thinking of some completely irrelevant hybrid between the film companies, Dreamworks and Technicolor. Of course, such a hybrid wouldn’t be in the business of composing psychedelic and/or free improv music, which is why that particular thought would be irrelevant. Also irrelevant: “Dreamcolour” sounds like a spectacular name for a revised, exceedingly futuristic version of Hasbro’s Lite-Brite.

Relevant: Rob Magill and Alex Gray (a.k.a. Dreamcolour) have just released The History of Dreaming in Colour, their first album since 2010, available for digital purchase here. If I had to describe what I’m hearing right now with a single word, that word would be the polar opposite of “contrived.” I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not that’s a good thing, ultimately. Also, the production veers decidedly towards the “lo” end of the fidelity scale. A conscious choice with a creative purpose? I would assume so. It definitely adds to the improvisational angle.

Alt-rock titans Smashing Pumpkins are reissuing their 1994 B-sides and rarities compilation Pisces Iscariot. The reissue will be released on July 17 (July 16 internationally) through EMI Music, as part of the label’s reissue campaign for the band. This will be the first time since its original release that the album has been remastered.

Billy Corgan.

The reissue will come in multiple formats. There will be a deluxe edition in both digital and physical formats, which features a live DVD and a second disc including the first Smashing Pumpkins demo and alternate versions of Pisces Iscariot tracks. There will also be standard editions in digital, CD, and vinyl formats. Producer Bob Ludwig has remastered the bonus content from the original tapes.

Billy Corgan.

For the deluxe physical version, Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild has handled the liner notes. In addition to those notes, BILLY CORGAN has written annotations for every track. This version also comes with a collection of postcards, watercolor illustrations, and photos.

Billy Corgan.

The Smashing Pumpkins released Oceania earlier this year. It is not a reissue. It’s a new album.

Former Pan Sonic member and noise generator Mika Vainio has announced in a glitchy, distorted manner that he will be following up last year’s explosive Life (…It Eats You Up) (TMT Review) with a new release titled Magnetite on Touch.

The new record, due out September 3, is said to “examine the contrast between absolute silence and noise.” My money is on more noise than silence, but that’s probably wishful thinking. Maybe he samples “4’33”” for his silent moments. Who knows! I’m not very funny today.

Dum Dum Girls have absolutely nothing to do with Dum Dum lollipops. They got their name from a Vaselines album called Dum Dum and an Iggy Pop song called “Dum Dum Boys.” Right after Dum Dum Girls recorded Only in Dreams (TMT Review), vocalist/guitarist Dee Dee Gundred wrote “Mine Tonight” and “I Got Nothing,” then stashed them away for a project a bit more atmospheric than the jangly 2011 release. Both tracks ended up on End of Daze, the band’s forthcoming EP, along with three other tracks, including a cover of Strawberry Switchblade’s “Trees and Flowers.” End of Daze will see a September 25 release via Sub Pop, and the Dum Dum Girls have a string of shows lined up to support the record. They’ve got at acoustic version of “Mine Tonight” that they recorded for Rhapsody.com, and you can check it out right here:

Throwback soulman Cody ChesnuTT hasn’t released an album since 2002’s aptly-named The Headphone Masterpiece. Ten years, people. Ten years. That’s a long time to wait, but like Radiohead and creepy abstinence-before-marriage-dads say, true love waits. And that’s what ChesnuTT’s new song, “That’s Still Mama,” is about: love for your moms, the love you feel when ChesnuTT’s silken voice winds through your ears and into your left ventricle. You can check that one out below; it’s a teaser for dude’s new album, Landing on a Hundred, which you, yes YOU can make happen via the magical, wish-granting internet genie known as Kickstarter.

So, apart from the chance to make a new Cody ChesnuTT album a reality, what do you get, you greedy little lantern rubber? Well, Cody’s gotcha covered. Donors will receive tokens of appreciation ranging from copies of the album, lithographs of the album art, custom eco-friendly t-shirts, custom beaded bracelets, a grab bag featuring Mr. C’s favorite books/CDs/movies, tickets to a show, and dinner with ChesnuTT himself. ChesnuTT is currently about halfway toward his $20,000 goal. You can learn more about the project, the aforementioned “tokens of appreciation” and dig some ChesnuTT multimedia on his Kickstarter page. Landing on a Hundred is due in October.